


Well Met

by ScientistSalarian



Category: Mass Effect
Genre: F/M, Feels, Fluff, Meeting the Parents, Tumblr Prompt
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-16
Updated: 2017-02-16
Packaged: 2018-09-24 21:01:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,038
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9786881
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ScientistSalarian/pseuds/ScientistSalarian
Summary: This was a prompt from the lovely Ladykattz on Tumblr to write something about Shepard and Garrus meeting his parents for the first time with a krogan son in tow. This ended up super fluffy. Hope you like it!





	

"If the plan was to kill my parents, I think the Reapers would have been a more humane option." Garrus said as they approached his parents' home. "A human wife and a krogan son..."

"I mean, they've had time to come to terms with it though right? We've been together a while Garrus." Elle noticed Garrus shift uncomfortably. "What is it?"

"I haven't exactly told them--" 

Elle cut him off mid-sentence, "Haven't told them what exactly?" 

"Well, I guess I was just waiting for the right moment...or something. I don't know. I just..." He trailed off realizing just how eventful this family meeting was going to be. "They know I have someone. They just never asked if you were turian and I never mentioned it. I may have, erm, omitted the whole adopted krogan son thing when I spoke to them about our visit. Didn't know how to bring that up either."

"Maybe if we're lucky it will end in a bloodbath!" Grunt said excitedly. He hadn't been thrilled with the prospect of meeting his new turian grandparents but the thought of a brawl lifted his mood. 

"Or maybe we can turn their ire back on Garrus by regaling them with tales of their son Archangel, dispenser of justice in an unjust galaxy!" Shepard couldn't help teasing him a little bit. Garrus had been incredibly nervous all week and she realized that the teasing was only feeding his anxiety. "Don't worry Garrus, no bloodbaths, no stories of your adventures on Omega. Maybe. I promise we'll all behave ourselves, right Grunt?" she glared at him as a warning.

"Fine." 

"We're here. Grunt, no threatening my parents or telling stories about slaughtering turians, or headbutting. Definitely no headbutting. Elle, just...be you. Maybe less shooting, and cursing, and definitely don't dance. This will all be fine." He was reassuring himself as much as the others.

Elle Shepard Vakarian would never admit it but she was just as apprehensive. She remembered a conversation with Garrus back when they were fighting Saren where he remarked that his father wouldn't like her much. She wanted badly to impress his parents and she didn't want to simply rely on her reputation as the Commander Shepard. She'd made Liara and Miranda go shopping with her a week prior to find a nice dress to wear for the occasion. It was one of the only pieces of clothing she owned that wasn't branded N7. She'd let her red hair grow out since the war ended and she spent an inordinate amount of time trying to style it that morning. Did all turians have the same fascination with human hair that Garrus had? She never thought to ask but decided to try to do something with it just in case.

"Coming?" Garrus asked pulling her out of her thoughts. He took her hand and led her to the door of her parents' house. Grunt trailed behind them.

Garrus knocked on the door and took a deep breath. His father opened the door before they could have second thoughts about turning around to make a quick escape. 

"Hi Dad." Garrus said quietly.

"Garrus." He said curtly. 

Elle could feel his gaze fall to her. "Elle Shepard...Vakarian", she was still getting used to the new surname, "Nice to meet you." She extended her hand and to her surprise Garrus' father took it in a firm handshake. "This is Grunt." Elle stepped aside so he could shake Grunt's hand.

"So which one did you marry, the krogan or the human?" he joked. With that the stifling tension dissipated as they all laughed.

"Oh come on dad. You know I'm not tough enough to marry a krogan. I married the human since I know we've got a chance against them in a battle. She insisted on adopting a krogan son since she basically raised him. Long story." They all filed into the living room where Garrus' mother was puttering around.

"Glad to hear you adopted him, a krogan birth with those human hips might prove, difficult." Garrus' father teased. From all the stories about how his father had been such a hardline C-Sec man she never would have guessed he'd have a sense of humor. A dry sense of humor, just like Garrus. She smiled noticing the similarity.

They made their introductions to Garrus' mother and everyone took their seats around the living room. The house was sparsely decorated but still had a sense of warmth. They sat there for a moment quietly each waiting for the other to speak. It certainly was a shock to the Vakarians to see their son with a human woman and a krogan as a family but he never had been one to follow expectations.

"So how did you two meet?" Garrus' mother broke the silence.

"She made me an offer to join her on her ship to be a part of a dangerous mission to track a rogue Spectre. How could I say no?" Garrus answered. "That led us to to the discovery that the Reapers were real. Elle even had a conversation with one. Then we killed the Sprectre and a whole army of Geth for that matter. Then she died for two years, came back to life and asked if I wanted to go on a suicide mission through the Omega 4 relay to stop the Collectors. Couldn't say no to that either. We were separated for a bit after that, then Elle found me again and asked if I wanted to risk my life to stop the Reapers once and for all. To be honest, I'm not sure if she really wanted to be my girlfriend; I think it was a failed plot to try and kill me in the most convoluted way possible." He smiled and wrapped his arm around her.

"How...romantic." His mother wasn't expecting that answer but found it endearing nonetheless.

"Don't worry mom, her aim is terrible. If she hasn't managed to kill me by now I think I'm safe." He enjoyed teasing Elle knowing that she had sworn to be on her best behavior around his parents. All she could do was shoot him a look.

"If you survived a Geth army, the Collectors and the Reapers but couldn't survive a single human, eve a human with a gun, I think we'd have to disown you dear." His mother mockingly threatened. His father nodded in agreement. Elle laughed along with them. She was glad they were making good natured jokes at her expense. That was nothing close to the worst she had feared might happen upon her first interaction with the Vakarians. They weren't kicking her out or actually disowning their son so she considered that a win.

"And how did you come to be adopted by these two?" 

"Shepard was my battlemaster. She stood with me as part of my krantt. He did too." Grunt said the last part quieter as he pointed at Garrus. Grunt had a hard time thinking of Garrus as a father figure still, and he had a harder time bringing himself to call Elle anything other than Shepard. Luckily she never argued the issue. "I became a part of clan Urdnott after that. After fighting the Reapers on Tuchanka, I wanted to be a Shepard. We killed a Reaper with a Thresher Maw! I wanted to hold the name that was soaked in the blood of our enemies!" Grunt was fired up and Garrus and Elle shot him a look.

"He took the name before we got married and he liked the um...legacy, that it has." Elle tried to explain.

"Also she takes a headbutt like a true krogan!" Grunt added enthusiastically. "He can't take a headbutt at all." Grunt said looking at Garrus.

"I always was a bit soft on him. maybe should have been more like his father and he'd give you a headbutt that would make you proud" 

"HAH!" Grunt laughed. He never expected to have such a good time with an old turian woman. They continued talking for an hour or so getting to know one another. Eventually Garrus' father went out to the kitchen and Garrus followed. 

"You're handling this a lot better than I thought you would. Considering...we weren't....close...for a while." Garrus hesitated to bring it up but he wanted to to have an honest discussion with his father. "I know you weren't expecting this but Elle, she's been there for me. Hell, she's the only one that ever has been."

"You're right. This isn't what I expected. It's not what I expected at all." Garrus looked down at his feet bracing himself for the onslaught he had feared since arranging the visit. "But..." his father continued, "You look happy, and if you're going to be married to a human, you may as well call the most respected human in the galaxy your wife."

Garrus stood there stunned. He studied his father's battleworn face trying to think of a response.

"I watched a lot of people die Garrus. I know you did too. You realize what's important. If you made it through this war with even a shread of happiness to hold onto, you got out better than most of us. I know I was hard on you in the past. I'm stubborn, you know that. Even for a turian I'm stubborn but this war, it changed me. Made me reevaluate what's important."

"Thank you. I don't know what to say." Garrus began. He looked out into the living room to see how Elle and his mother were getting along. They were talking and laughing as though they were old friends trading a lifetime's worth of stories. Even Grunt was enjoying himself. Garrus turned back to his father "They're my family. All of them actually. The whole crew of the Normandy. I hope you get to meet them all someday. But I'm glad you met Elle, and that this meeting didn't turn into a complete disaster."

"Me too."

"We don't...hug now, do we?" Garrus asked.

"That human woman is turning you soft. You should take some cues from the krogan." His father said gruffly.

"Yeah. We should probably go back out there and make sure they're all not getting into too much trouble." Garrus said thinking of a way to no longer have to keep the conversation going on his own. He also noticed a troublingly nefarious look in Elle's eye as she was talking. 

They went back to the living room and talked some more until finally remarks were made about the lateness of the hour. Garrus, Grunt and Elle stood up to leave. Garrus' father shook their hands once again as they left. His mother hugged Grunt and gently touched her head to his. 

"It's not quite a headbutt but it will have to do" she said and Grunt smiled pleased with her attempt however weak it was. As soon as he left the house Grunt had already run far ahead of them glad to be free to do as he pleased again. There was only so much diplomatic family interaction one krogan could take in one day.

"Goodbye Elle, I hope we get to see you soon. It was so nice to meet you" she gave Elle a hug and moved to take Garrus' hands into hers. "Take care of her Garrus. She might be the only one in the galaxy that can put up with you." she leaned in and quietly so only he could hear, she whispered "It was so good to see you again........Archangel."

If turians could blush he would have turned a deep shade of red. He shot Elle a look as they left and she was smiling that devilish smile that she had when she knew she'd gotten away with something. Garrus pulled Elle into him closely, wrapping his arms around her hips as he leaned in.

"I'll make you pay for that later." Garrus said softly in her ear. 

She gave him a knowing look as she wrapped her arms around his neck. "Is that a threat or a promise?"

"Oh it's a fair bit of both. " He kissed her and they continued on their way.


End file.
